Orcustrated Babel
by Time Thief
Summary: A Babel-like tower in VRAINS causes intense blackouts throughout the country. Musical instrument monstrosities protect the tower from Playmaker's attempts at deactivation. A strike by the Orchestrator himself hurtles Yusaku into a separate dimension. Escape seems impossible until he meets Lib, a girl tied to the tower's creation. Post-canon mixed with World Legacy and Orcust lore.
1. Heights Beyond the Clouds

**Chapter One**

_Heights Beyond the Clouds_

Sunshine peeked through shreds of clouds in the golden sky. In central Den City, chatter mingled with the bells adorning horse-drawn buggies. Yusaku tossed the smelly animals a glare as he approached a hot dog stand. He clutched the collar of his wool jacket closer; the holidays were a mess.

A hollering of his surname plus a warm hello had him hastening his pace. The culprit kept up an excited wave. Aoi wore a velvet blue coat over her uniform plus an ice-blue beanie keeping her brown locks tucked inside.

Steam rose from the pair of hot chocolates upon the picnic table. He took his place beside her and noted she picked hot white chocolate for him this time. He mentioned off-handedly, once, it was his favorite.

"I always love this time of year," she said. "We should take a ride in one of the horse-drawn carriages! Their sleigh bells are like a lullaby to me."

She giggled and tugged on the dangly threads of her toque. For the first time in his life, Yusaku considered the beasts clop-clopping down the street in a positive light. He sipped at the hot white chocolate and hummed an agreement.

The patting of a pair of hands interrupted them. Jin smiled and tied his bright yellow apron tighter. Brown leaves crunched under his walk towards them. "Great to see you two again! Making a Thursday night tradition, huh? You having the usual?"

Yusaku offered a thumbs-up. Aoi squealed about how great Jin was recovering, which had become yet another tradition. He scratched at his temple and waved off her compliments.

"It's true, though!" Aoi said. "You're up and at 'em every day! I remember a month ago you could only work one day a week. Look at you now! Don't you think he's a superstar, Yusaku?"

He offered a brief nod. "Is Kusanagi around?"

"At the grill," Jin said, "but I'm sure he'll come forward once he realizes who's come calling."

Yusaku left the pair to chat and tugged on a pair of pink mittens. When Roboppy was still around, he had to gather the gloves wherever Yusaku happened to toss them. The reminder of the missing piece of his life dampened him.

"You look like you could use this."

Kusanagi pushed a warm bun into Yusaku's hands without so much as asking. The gesture lightened him, at least; Kusanagi made it with the works, just like Yusaku preferred. "Thank you."

"Psh. So formal all the time! You never change," he said. "Say, when's the last time you visited VRAINS?"

Kusanagi shook a thumb towards the giant screens fixed above Den City Center. They displayed Soulburner and Blood Shepherd clashing; further away, Ghost Girl showed Kiku some basic combos.

"Homura's cashing in on the fame you two rightly earned, yet not a lick of news from the man himself!" Kusanagi said. "You camera shy?"

Yusaku shook his head. Ever since Ai, entering VRAINS simply brought up too many memories that'd aged like milk. Attempts at explaining that particular situation caused his tongue to weigh tons, though.

He let everyone have their happy endings.

"I haven't counted the days," Yusaku said. "I like it out here."

"Riiight," Kusanagi said. "Whatever the reason, it's nice to see you living a normal life. Making… _friends_."

What the wink Kusanagi gave suggested, Yusaku had no clue. "Sure."

"Oh, c'mon! Can't help but notice how much time you're spending with Aoi these days!"

"She's nice."

"And?"

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say here."

Kusanagi laughed. "Like I said: you never change. To what do I owe the pleasure of today's visit, by the by?"

"I was wondering if Jin-"

Warnings flashed on the jumbotron. The VRAINS feed cut away to the CEO of SOL Technologies, Akira Zaizen. At the sight of her worried brother, Aoi shot to her feet. Zaizen stated, "This is an emergency alert regarding the online status of LINK VRAINS. Anyone currently within the program: please attempt logout immediately. An anomaly within could cause physical harm if encountered. Spread the word if anyone you know is currently logged in."

The hot dog splatted against the pavement. Yusaku watched the announcement with a slacked jaw. Just when he thought it was over, just when he thought he could relax…

"Kusanagi," he said.

He'd already opened the door inside the hot dog truck. "Got you."

Yusaku stutter stepped. He glanced back to the picnic table. Jin's hand hovered over Aoi's shoulder. She fretted back and forth on whether to call her brother or not. Would it add to his stress? If it didn't go through, would it only make her more afraid for him?

Approaching drew her out of her worry. As soon as their eyes met, hers adjusted to the tilt of concern. "Oh. You're… going in, aren't you? I think I should, too, but I'll have to run home, and what if Akira-"

He took her hand in his as they had once before. This time, he placed his other hand atop hers, capturing her fingers between all ten of his, to show he meant more than a mere handshake.

Then he drew away and sprinted into the truck. Kusanagi shut the door behind him. Yusaku checked his wrist dealer was on tight, unclasped his deck box, and exclaimed, "_Deck Set! Into the VRAINS_!"

A blinding flash followed. An instance of floating stole away his grounding in reality. His feet fitted to solid ground. His school uniform had phased away for the more form-fitting, black-green bodysuit. Wind whisked through his longer hair. He'd spawned on a Speed Duel board.

A tendril of data storm, indigo and violet blending in a flood, carried him through the sky. To the north, a diamond larger than the grandest skyscrapers in Den City was suspended in the VRAINS sky. Blips in the urban area below indicated the many users heeding Zaizen's warning and logging out.

Kusanagi's voice crackled in Yusaku's ear: "The anomaly is towards the south, Playmaker."

He shifted his hips to jerk the board in the opposite direction. The surge of the data storm moved with him, its ebbs and flows as familiar to him as his pulse. The sight of the "anomaly" left him in awe.

A tower grander than even Hanoi's pierced VRAINS' lavender sky. Gold and black lattice spiraled upward in layers. The golden portions of the highest floors shimmered like sunshine. The concrete foundation curled around the base like a snake.

A scream from below had Playmaker slowing his course towards the tower. A pair of familiar faces on a rooftop had him debating whether to stop or not. Noticing the _thing_ in the lower courtyard, he leapt off the board and shouted, "Soulburner!"

The convulsions from his lips to his eyes said he wanted to offer a smile but just couldn't manage it. His girlfriend, Kiku, huddled close to him. "Glad to finally see you again. Sorry it has to be like this. These creepy things are all over, and if they hurt you, it carries over into the real world."

What he pointed at was nothing less than a monstrosity. Misshapen, golden teeth jutted out of its jaw. Its skeletal body was formed from cymbals and stands serving as limbs, bent windpipes as a ribcage, and drums at its joints. Every step the monster took caused the crashing of the cymbals over and over.

The setting of Playmaker's brow cast shadows over his green eyes. "Are there any casualties?"

"No," Soulburner assured. "Well, no one's dead, if that's what you're asking. Plenty are hurt. It's strange. They're aggressive but never to that point. The things are more and more common the closer you get to the tower, so…"

"They're protecting it."

Kiku piped up. "That's what I said! He wouldn't let me take another step closer, though. It has to mean something bad! That's how these stories always go!"

_Crash_ went the cymbals on the monster below. A groan like a zombie's escaped the instrument's mouth. Playmaker stared at it. "If I fly, I can close in easily."

Kiku's chuckle oozed sarcasm. "You'd think. There are these types that fly! One's like a dragon with harps for wings, and the plucking would be nice and soothing and stuff if it wasn't trying to bat us out of the sky! The music stuff makes it all creepier, somehow."

The kneeling of the skeleton elicited the banging of its kneecap drums. The sound reminded Playmaker of thunder from a gathering storm. Soulburner said, "What's the problem with the tower, anyway? VRAINS being under attack is obviously horrible, but why does the tower in specific need to be shut down?"

"Blackouts."

A haze of blue digitized the form of Akira Zaizen, who folded his hands behind his suit coat as he observed the gathered trio. "Playmaker, I appreciate your presence. Same to you two. Something at the tallest heights of that tower is draining power from the real world. SOL Technologies was only the beginning. We project the blackout to spread across the country within hours, and we have no idea when the drain will end. If it lasts too long – long enough for backup generators to fail – think of the consequences. The largest hospitals in Den City-"

Soulburner's eyes squeezed shut as he said, "You can stop there! Okay, we reach the tower, then what?"

Zaizen lifted his head to observe the impossible heights of the glimmering silver and gold tower. Cloud cover miles above their location prevented them from seeing the top. Odd, Playmaker thought. He'd never seen weather effects besides the data storm in VRAINS before.

"There is some sort of antennae at the top. If you can reach it and knock it off, the drain will halt. I'm sorry I have to request the aid of you two once again-"

"Soulburner," Playmaker said, "are you aware of the entrances to the tower?"

"There's just one, but you won't like the odds."

"Um," Zaizen said.

Soulburner smiled and scratched his temple. "Sorry. He's… you know. We'll handle this! No need to worry!"

He nudged his own nose with his thumb. Zaizen sighed, but a small smile played at his lips. "I'll keep you updated with everything I know. Our backup generators are mostly committed to data, though, so I may lose contact at some point. For now, I can tell you the outer heights of the tower are swarmed by flying, metal – sorry, this is a moment where the truth is stranger than fiction – flying, metal _tubas_ with sharp attachments. I imagine the outside route will result in shredding."

"Which is why you wanted the front entrance?" Soulburner asked.

Playmaker responded with a brief nod. "What's the issue with the inside?"

Soulburner jerked his chin towards the tower. Whispers passed between him and Kiku. Her glare could sear a man's insides, Playmaker thought, but Soulburner responded with a beg that melted her. Kiku relented and agreed to log off. Zaizen said his farewells and promised to keep in touch.

Once the pair were alone, Soulburner asked, "How've you been?"

"This isn't really the time."

"I know, but I understand how difficult losing a partner can be. After Flame, I could hardly-"

Playmaker said, "The entrance."

Soulburner dashed a hand through his hair, grumbling, "Alright, alright. Follow me."

The red trail of Soulburner's scarf flowed behind his leaps from rooftop to rooftop. The city at the heart of VRAINS tapered for flat wasteland, upon which the foundation of the tower lay. Their proximity allowed Playmaker a look at the hundreds of sentient instruments crowding the airspace. If he used the data storm for travel, he'd have to lay low, he thought.

"Eyes on the ground and you'll see your issue," Soulburner said.

The huff and clods of horse hooves sounded from the distance. A massive, equine beast easily the size of two buses treaded in front of the tower's entrance. The swiveling of its neck, a series of interconnected tubas, gave a whine like a trombone's sliding.

A human-shaped design rode the tuba horse. The knight's shield was a combination of a silver cello and a golden clarinet. Its spear was risen as though in preparation of a joust. The horse's tail, interconnected flutes designed to resemble hair, caused a melodious whistle as it swayed back and forth in its rounds about the tower.

"That spear'd kill me in an instant," Soulburner said. "Far as I can tell, though, there's only one of those things guarding the entrance. If I distract it, you can slip in. Just-"

"Good plan," Playmaker said. "I'll wait here and ride the storm inside once the knight isn't looking."

Soulburner winced. "Right. Yep. Heeere I go. Y'know, comparing the sizes, I'm basically a fly to that thing-"

"We don't have much time," Playmaker urged.

A sigh hissed through Soulburner's teeth. He leapt off the building, and his board materialized below. He hollered taunts on his journey towards the tower. The horse's head lifted. The monster trotted forward one step, two. The knight leveled his spear and lobbed the weapon at Soulburner. He ducked beneath the massive weapon. The stabbing of the lance into the earth kicked up a cloud of dust.

Playmaker dove off the roof, landed smoothly onto his board, and made a beeline for the tower through the clouded atmosphere. He kept his eyes thinned but had to blink away dirt several times. His eyes were wet by the time he reached the opening.

Vibrations in the earth made him hesitate. Symphonic music pulsed from within the tower. A pair of doors large enough to welcome the knight and horse lay open before him. The dark steel of their crisscrossing designs reminded him of something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He kept his steps light as he passed the threshold, and the glass between the steel of the doors reflected a flash that temporarily blinded him.

He blinked as he entered an atrium. Playmaker's heartbeat rocked his chest. Leagues of instrumental monsters surrounded him. They weren't moving or paying him any attention, though; the beasts faced towards the tower's center, from which the music rang.

He passed through a pair of dragon-harps Kiku had described. Beyond their strung wings, stained-glass windows spiraled around the inner tower. The soft sunlight filtered as shades of the rainbow onto the marble tiled floor. Playmaker's feet padded across pink, gold, and indigo on his way towards the center.

The hallway's arches opened to the main, vertical vein of the tower. The stairway winding upwards across the room was his goal. An enormous machine stood between Playmaker and the route up: an organ-like beast attached to the bridge above. Its spindly claws drifted up and down in fluid movement despite the awkward tuba elbows the monster sported.

The keys atop the bridge pressed down despite no one touching them, producing the ghastly tune weaving through the tower. The gigantic, brass tube facing the ground reminded Playmaker of the monster's dress. A symbol above the brass matched the crisscross pattern on the front doors. Glancing around the room, Playmaker noted the same symbol on every monster.

The music halted. Dreadful silence settled. Playmaker held his breath as he scanned the organ above. An individual had appeared atop the monster. His long, purple hair flowed as though wind disturbed it, but the tower was still and quiet as a vacuum. The newcomer's posture was uncomfortably stick-straight, and his dark suit coat appeared metal like armor. The shield he hefted sported the same symbol as the instrumental monstrosities rampaging through VRAINS.

A soft, red ribbon was clutched in his fist. The crimson fabric flapped, and his hold tightened.

"Warn all others: do not enter the Orcustrated Babel."

The man's command boomed throughout eternity as though a law laid down by a god. Playmaker bristled, stood straighter, and said, "Your actions could cause hundreds of deaths, and this 'Orcustrated Babel' must be stopped-"

A _bang_ of every key on the organ blasted a deafening soundwave through the bottom, brass tube of the huge beast. With it came an insanely loud exclamation from the man:

**"****BEGONE!"**

The backwards blast threw Playmaker across the marble floor, through the crowds of instruments, and rolling towards the open glass doors. The cracking of his bones as he tumbled was the last sound he heard before his consciousness left him.

* * *

**End of Chapter One**

* * *

**A/N: ****IMPORTANT:** _Constructive criticism in reviews and/or PMs is extremely valuable and appreciated!_ If you have anything to say or suggest, feel free to! I am always trying to improve and need your help! I make a point of responding to all reviews, too.

Lemme know if this story interests y'all any cos this lore always been real interesting and beautiful to me. Hope you enjoy my interpretations of them and how I'm mixing VRAINS with it + pls let me know what could be better lol

**Relevant cards in order of appearance**: Orcustrated Babel; Orcust Cymbal Skeleton; Orcust Brass Bombard; Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star; Orcust Harp Horror; Orcustrion; Longirsu, the Orcust Orchestrator


	2. Artifacts of a Lost World

**Chapter Two**

_Artifacts of a Lost World_

The twittering of birds crafted the morning's melody. Tree branches swayed, and large, green leaves waved at him. He blinked into the soft morning light spilling through the branches. That couldn't be right, he thought. Last time he checked, it was the middle of winter. The trees were alive and well, though.

Pine straw rustled as he pushed himself up. His teeth grit as his spine ached. He rubbed at his lower back. The events involving Babel returned to him in a flood. He shot to his feet.

The sky beyond the trees was the orange flare of mornings in the real world, and a dusting of gold decorated the clouds. His brow furrowed. Had someone else logged him out? They had said damage carried over to the real world from the monstrosities.

The feeling of being watched tickled the back of his neck. He spread his stance. A pair of bright eyes, emerald as the forest, watched him. He called, "Who are you?"

The scratchy underbrush didn't bother her. Her lavender locks reached her bare thighs. Brown fabric wrapped around her neck and below her bare midriff trailed behind her stride. The violet and golden designs decorating her shirt, skirt, boots, and vambraces coupled with her glimmering turquoise tiara gave her a regal aura.

What had him clenching his fists, however, was the rapier in her grip. The spiraling, golden hilt and dark gem above the crossguard caught the tangerine of the rising sun. The silver blade was nearly equal to her height; the crown of her head reached his neck.

The tilt of her thin brows suggested concern or curiosity – he couldn't tell. She stopped a good few feet from him. The tip of the lengthy sword pointed at the ground. The body language exhibiting peace had him laxing a tad. She said, "What is your name?"

He started to say Playmaker. He spread his palms as he realized the comfortable bodysuit he sported in VRAINS was replaced by his school uniform. His hand went to his lapel as he said, "Yusaku Fujiki."

"Yu-sa-ku." The syllables seemed to weigh tons upon her taste buds. "How unfortunate. I was really hoping you were him…"

"Who?"

The corners of her mouth curved down. She tucked a lilac lock behind her ear. "No need to worry over it. How did you get here?"

"I'm not sure. The last thing I remember-" His mouth shut. He had to be careful not to disclose anything that would give away his secret identity. "Is this inside VRAINS?"

"Inside what now? Brains? That sounds morbid."

"No, not- I'm talking about LINK-VRAINS."

Her finger tapped her chin, her eyes lifted to the clouds, and her head rocked side to side. "No, no, no. Never ever heard of it."

Lifting his hands again, he thought about how that explained the loss of his Playmaker appearance. How far out had he ended up for this girl to not have heard of VRAINS? The cultural phenomenon was popular as sliced bread.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"I am not completely sure myself despite being here so long. There is one thing I am certain of."

"Which is?"

Her hands fell to her sides, and the tip of her sword dug into the dirt. The flatness in her expression concerned him. The mysterious girl looked into Yusaku's eyes and said, "There is no way out."

* * *

Noonday sunshine sparkled on the drops of sweat on Yusaku's brow. His discarded uniform jacket lay beside his feet. He rolled up his wet sleeve again and charged. His shoulder bashed into nothing, and he collapsed backward. Wincing, he grasped his upper arm.

The barrier was incomprehensible. Its invisible nature allowed the sunlight to reach him. The tree line for the forest stopped a while back. Past the barrier, an instance of grassland continued then melded into thick forest.

Because the trees couldn't grow near it, he knew the barrier _existed_. He wasn't crazy. The girl had all but confirmed it – without using exact terms. She seemed to have resigned herself to never escaping.

A sigh puffed through Yusaku's nostrils as he crossed his arms behind his head. Soft, green leaves and spiky blades of grass brushed his knuckles. A cloud shaped like a wave drifted between the sun and the earth.

Had the man in Babel sent him here on purpose? That he was thrown away after the man warned him couldn't have been a coincidence. Had the man rendered the barrier, then?

The shuffling of grass and leaves followed his rising to his feet. One person and one alone had answers.

He spun and marched back into the underbrush. Maples closed in on him quickly. The fan of their large leaves in the breeze kept him on his toes. He'd thought it odd how he encountered no wildlife. The song of the waving branches replaced the expected birds, squirrels, and chipmunks.

Underbrush ended for a clearing ahead. Yusaku peered across an instance of moss-coated pavement. A dilapidated facility resembling a laboratory rested at the center of the clearing. His breath caught. He stepped outside the thicket and stared upwards.

A larger-than-life shield crowned the crumbling architecture. Orange glowed like a sunset in the gold-and-silver shield's designs. The top, curved edge reached higher than the tallest trees.

Yusaku glanced over his shoulder. He hadn't passed this structure on his way towards the barrier. The overgrown lab couldn't have been touched in years. A painful reminder of the Lost Incident lanced through his mind.

The crushing of pine straw and snapping of branches grabbed his focus. The tree line was devoid of mobile life as ever. Yusaku rounded the lab and observed the shield. The unnatural orange coloring seemed to be _moving_ like a river of lava.

A stick _cracked_ behind him. A trio of hot breaths puffed onto the back of his neck.

Yusaku wheeled around. A three-headed dog roared with two mouths and snapped at him with the last. He sprinted away from the beast. Metal claws propelled the bright orange dog forward. The two outer heads, blinded by tight cowls, howled at the sun. The central neck stretched towards Yusaku. A pair of teal eyes, blank like a doll's, laser-focused on him.

A crack in the laboratory's steel walls caught his eye. He dove inside. The screech of metal on metal sounded behind him. A massive, spiked collar kept the three-headed dog from entering the thin crack. The animal threw itself at the wall over and over and over again. Yusaku flinched back at the savage attacks and screaming sound of the spikes digging grooves into the wall.

The dog gave up, pawed backwards, and barked. The three heads in unison left Yusaku covering his ears. A gem embedded in the animal's chest glimmered. Yusaku blinked into the blinding orange glow spilling through the crack.

A shadow covered the shine. The human-shaped silhouetted stood as a wall between the creature and Yusaku. Once he noticed the item in the person's hand – a large rapier – he knew exactly who it was.

The girl twirled the hilt in her hands, spread her stance, and drove the tip of the sword into the dog's chest. The _crack_ of the orange jewel followed a trio of pained yelps. The girl swept her forward foot back, withdrawing her blade from the animal's hide.

No blood dripped from the steel. Where she had struck, though, a hole remained. A sound reminiscent of a ringing bell came from the jewel at the sword's hilt. Black crawled from the dog's wound and infected the entire animal. The dark beast crumpled into a shadow-like puddle.

"You killed it," Yusaku said.

The way she stuck out her lower lip made Yusaku wonder if she was younger than she looked. "No 'thanks for saving my life' or anysuch? Harrumph. Cerberus is one of the six Knightmares, and the Knightmares are unkillable. The World Shield will regenerate him. I suggest you leave Cerberus's territory before that happens."

She pointed the tip of her sword towards the item atop the laboratory when she said "World Shield," and Cerberus must've been the dog's name. Yusaku said, "What is the World Shield? What is this building? What's with the barrier – why is it in place, and why-"

"Woah!" she said. Her fingers rubbed her temples. "You're making my gears spin too fast! Heh, that's something my brother used to say. Follow me, Yu-sa-ku. We'll talk somewhere safe."

A glance at the sun's position showed her the way to go. He followed her away from the laboratory and the barrier. They reached a clearing in the center of the forest. A blooming dogwood marked their safety meadow.

Scanning the brilliant white petals, Yusaku said, "Is it Spring?"

"Always," the girl said. She retrieved a square package from amidst the branches and unfolded the purple blanket. The box within held jerky – of what animal's meat, he didn't want to know. She patted the purple blanket and held out the box to him.

He remained standing and asked, "What is this place? I am absolutely certain it's Winter where I'm from."

She frowned at her rejected box. The shifting of her legs either meant she was cold or uncomfortable. She fiddled with a string of lavender thread tied around the fair skin of her thigh. The bow bounced as she said, "I like to think of this place as The World Grave."

"_Grave_?"

Her green eyes tilted as she lay her sword across her lap. "The artifacts, places, and Knightmares have all been destroyed or lost. That's why I think it's a grave and why it makes sense for there to be no way out."

Yusaku's throat ran dry. The man in Babel hadn't just thrown Yusaku away; he'd followed through on his warning.

He'd killed Yusaku.

The girl cleared her throat. "But, Yu-sa-ku, I think you're different."

"How so?"

"Nobody had appeared in The World Grave for… Skies, has it been years? I'm not sure of the days and nights anymore. You seem shocked to realize you passed away, which makes me more skeptical. Also, those of us here remember the same world. Yours with your VRAINS and whathaveyou seems to be different.

"You haven't recognized the Knightmares or the legendary laboratory. You may be able to take the pillar – sorry, this bright light through stars that looks like it'd take us out. We're not able to use it. I think it's worth a shot, at least. You don't want to be stuck in here, do you, Yu-sa-ku?"

His chin dipped. "I would be extremely grateful if you'd open this 'pillar' for me."

She smiled and clapped her hands together. Her brown scarf danced with the movement. "Of course! For the chance, we need to charge the key; we'll have to visit each of the World Legacies."

His brow knit. She marched towards the dangerous territory she warned him against. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the World Shield," she said. "Cerberus might not be reformed yet. Why not try the Shield first while we have the chance?"

"So that Shield is…"

"One of the eight World Legacies," she said. "We have to visit seven if you want to open The World Legacy."

His fingers curled as he counted on them. "There are World Legacies and then there's _The_ World Legacy."

"Right! That's the name of the pillar that'll hopefully take you out of here. For someone from a different world, you take it in easily, Yu-sa-ku!"

Bushes parted for their steps. The sun's descent had begun, adding a tilt to the light spilling through the branches. The girl cleared her throat. "I suppose you are not a chatterbox."

"No."

She laughed a little and tugged her scarf away from her neck. In her awkward moments, the tiara didn't quite belong on her, he thought. She halted, and the youth drained from her expression; the sternness befitting a queen hardened her face.

The left-to-right bouncing of her irises said she was searching for Cerberus. Yusaku saw it now: the lab crowned by the World Shield. He supposed she wanted to be sure the dog wouldn't bother their approach.

Satisfied, she skipped forward and hummed a tune. Greenery hung from the drab, gray building's roof. She scaled slippery vines like a practiced gymnast climbing ropes. Yusaku gripped a vine. His sweaty hands couldn't keep a grip. He watched her instead.

She tested the broken roof before stepping towards the World Shield. The girl drew the rapier from a sheath beneath her scarf. She pressed the black gem in the pommel to the orange snaking along the Shield's designs.

A drop of brilliant tangerine emitted a flare like the setting sun's and melded into the sword's gem.

A grin brightened her face as she hefted the blade into the air. She glanced around, seeing nobody, and a blush touched her cheeks. She leapt off the roof and staggered forward a few steps before finding root.

"One of seven complete!"

He nodded. The drooping of her head suggested he was not as enthusiastic as she hoped. He asked, "What's next?"

She tapped her chin. "The World Armor, I suppose. This way."

He followed in her footsteps and marveled at how she kept them silent despite the crunching chestnuts, branches, and pine straw. She tossed a glance over her shoulder, her thin eyebrow lifting.

"You walk through the forest like a raging bear."

"I'm city-grown."

She hummed to let him know she heard. "Is that why you take so little interest in those outside yourself?"

He scratched his cuff. "No. I- something happened when I was young. Ever since, I've tried to keep to myself. There was an individual I would call my friend. He's gone now. He's gone in a tragic way."

The weight her sigh carried could break a back. "I'm sorry, Yu-sa-ku. I've lost my best friends, too. Obviously I have since I'm in The World Grave. Oh, this is all so depressing to speak on. If you have trouble asking, how about I tell you tales of my world?"

The flat forest had started into a sharp incline. Through heaved breaths, he said, "Sure."

She wove the tale of her homeland beginning with the laboratory holding the World Shield. Despite the steep hill, her breathing didn't labor. Yusaku wiped sweat from his brow as he attempted to keep up with her. The blood pumping in his ears almost kept him from listening.

Prior to her generation, she explained, researchers unearthed a breakthrough related to the scattered artifacts across the globe – the World Armor, World Shield, World Wand, World Ark, World Chalice, World Crown, World Lance, and World Key. By merging a piece from each, they created a crystal of unimaginable power. The crystal generated its own energy in response to outside factors.

While the researchers had their congratulations parties, the crystal evolved. The rock developed intelligence. The scientists dropped everything and rushed to do the ethical thing: give the crystal a body.

The result was a robotic humanoid that would come to be known as Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star. The girl said, "Much like you, Morning Star peppered the researchers with question after question. It took its time in drinking in the provided information. Morning Star seemed most interested in the purported energy crisis our world faced."

The higher the pair ascended, the sparser the greenery became. Even the grass tapered for dirt. The girl stopped on the lip of the mountain's apex. Yusaku swallowed what little oxygen he could from the thin air.

The sun touched the horizon beyond a sea of trees. Yusaku watched the dyed-pink clouds while he breathed. The girl said, "Morning Star drew upon the World Legacies and turned himself into a reactor we could use to alleviate our issues. At first, the world praised him for his sacrifice. Then the problems started. We didn't realize what messing with the World Legacies would cause; we didn't realize the destruction we'd just stirred. And it all started… here."

Yusaku turned his back on the sunset to follow her line of sight. The mountain's heights dipped into a crater. Daisies sprouted around patches of grass. A red reflection like blood spilled onto them from massive, metal carcasses merged into the earth. Their crimson veins moved like the World Shield's. The black metal mixed with blood red had Yusaku's hairs standing on end.

The chest plate and a gauntlet of the World Armor had sunk halfway into the ground, a testament to its age. The second gauntlet stuck up from the mossy dirt as though reaching to pluck the few stars from the young night. Nails the size of spears jutted from the fingertips, but the pinkie was missing – rusted and fallen, Yusaku guessed.

A _caw_ rung from atop the gauntlet. A blazing bird perched atop a fingertip. Yusaku gasped and pointed out the Knightmare, but the girl waved him away. Phoenix was supposedly friendly.

The flaming hawk soared from its perch and alighted beside her. She stroked the crimson bird's head. The leaping flames didn't seem to bother her. The faraway look in her eyes held Yusaku's attention.

"This is where they spawned," the girl said. "The beginning of the end, the infestation that killed millions: the Krawlers."

"What were they?" Yusaku demanded. "What did they do?"

Her lifted hand didn't do much to muffle her giggle. "The hooks are in! I finally have you interested!"

His expression softened. "You do. You are quite the storyteller. May I ask your name?"

Her hand dropped and her eyes widened. She closed her mouth. Opened it. A smile spread as she said, "My name is Lib."

* * *

**End of Chapter Two**

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, friends, I must say I was NOT planning on updating so soon.

You can thank the TCG announcement for LIB THE WORLD KEYMASTER! My girl's on the way so I posted in celebration c: Pretty much immediately after the OCG announcement and artwork of this card was when I started writing this fic

**Relevant cards in order of appearance: **Lib the World Keymaster, World Legacy - World Shield, Knightmare Cerberus, (referenced) Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star, World Legacy - World Armor, Knightmare Phoenix, (referenced) World Legacy in Shadow


	3. Absent of Pulse

**Chapter Three**

_Absent of Pulse_

Yusaku nibbled on the jerky Lib shared and attempted to imagine thousands of Krawlers creeping over the World Armor. She stacked chopped wood she'd hauled up, tucked a pair of fingers into her lips, and loosed a loud whistle. Knightmare Phoenix swooped down and bestowed flames onto the wood.

The fire crackled and roared. Lib lay out her scarf and flopped down on it. Yusaku settled for the soft grass. He would normally be wary of insects, but they seemed to be absent in The World Grave.

The sprinkling of stars in the sky was beyond any spectacle he'd witnessed. The city stars were sparse what with the light pollution. Aquamarine nebulae swept across the sky like waves over an obsidian beach. The stars in this world resembled sparkling topaz compared to the rhinestones in Yusaku's home. The sight left him more in awe than Stardust Road managed.

"Rest up," Lib said. "Tomorrow, we're travelling to the World Lance. It's on the very edge – at a barrier. We also have to descend this mountain. Busy day. Need water?"

She passed him a canteen. He swirled the water, saying, "Are you going to tell the story of the Krawlers?"

"Tomorrow. We'll have all day."

"There aren't any left, right?"

She snickered. "What's wrong? Is the stranger scared?"

The blazing fire caused the shadows to scurry and leap. "Yes."

"There are no Krawlers in this world," she said, her playfulness wiped away. "They're not sentient, so they don't exactly pass away. They're robotic with circuits running through them."

Yusaku scanned the World Armor. The crimson glow continued snaking along in the dead of night. "Thank you, Lib."

"You're welcome, Yu-sa-ku."

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," she repeated. "Kind dreams and easy sleep."

Lib wrapped herself up in her brown scarf. Within moments, her breathing found steady rhythm. Yusaku was not so lucky. He couldn't break his gaze away from the golden stars in the green-blue sea. He was so used to black and black.

He wanted to tell someone about this. He wanted Ai to make a silly joke about how uncultured and untraveled Yusaku was. He wanted Soulburner to offer a supportive comment about how they'd tell everyone about it when they returned home, emphasis on the "when." He wanted to tell Aoi how it reminded him of Blue Maiden's eyes and watch her reaction – a blush, an abrupt change of subject.

Loneliness did not used to be a problem.

* * *

Cracks and potholes marred the paved road. Steamed drifted up from distant craters. She sprinted down the striped yellow line. _Clop-clop-clop_ went her sandals.

An inch behind, a swift scuttering followed.

Heaving breaths, she shouted, "Help! _Help_!"

The _whirr_ of a robotic targeting system sounded ahead. A massive, claw-like head curved around the heights of a skyscraper. Its glowing, scarlet eye shrank and expanded repeatedly as it located her. The snakelike machine shot forward and slammed into the road in the blink of an eye. The giant insect's tail whipped back and forth, shattering windows in the process.

She spun on her heel. Another mechanical insect chased her on four spindly legs like swords. The bug halted, its red eye growing and shrinking like the other's. The _sounds_ they produced – chittering like pinching mandibles combined with dial up beeps – would live forever in her nightmares.

If she lived. She hugged her staff to her chest and tried to think of her magical incantations. Fear clouded her thoughts with internal screams.

A human shout came from a broken window. A blond boy in glimmering gold armor jumped from the wreckage and drove his blade through the snakelike insect's body. Sparks flew. The boy withdrew his gold blade and hacked the insect to pieces.

The four-legged bug behind her dove at the boy to defend its comrade. He didn't turn towards the advancing enemy. The girl opened her mouth to warn him.

He lifted his sword with an arm so the attacker impaled itself. Both insects slacked. Oil spilled from their limp limbs like black blood. A spark from their innards started a fire upon the growing oil puddle. The flames consumed both bodies.

"Are you alright?" he offered, stepping away from the fallen and paying their brutal, burning burials no attention.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from them. "Y-yes. Thank you."

"No need for thanks!" He flashed a grin and pointed his thumb at himself. His goggles fell from his forehead onto his nose. He staggered back a step, blinded, and pushed them up again. She laughed as he returned to his victorious pose. "I'm Avram! Slicing and dicing Mekkstrosities is kinda my job! How 'bout yourself?"

"Mekkstrosity? What's that?"

"It's-" He broke off, and his expression shifted to wariness. He angled an ear towards a distant street. A man stood at the corner. Avram hefted his blade and positioned himself between the girl and the man. "Who goes there?"

The tall fellow marched with a long, long gait. His lowered chin allowed for a shadow to be cast over his brow. His mouth was a firm line. His arms were folded behind his back like a butler approaching his employer.

Avram backed up a step. "S-stop right there! Announce your intentions!"

A foot from Avram, the man halted. He spun a spear out from his back, which his folded hands disguised perfectly behind his wiry frame. The point stayed an inch from Avram's throat. In a voice as deep and rich as the bitterest coffee, the man said, "State _yours_."

His sword clattered to the pavement. "I- I was just tryna help this girl, that's all! I swear it!"

"His stutters unveil his mistruths," the man stated. "On your knees, prisoner."

The girl said, "Aw, don't treat him like that! He really did help me!"

The man's green eyes flicked to hers. A blue pixie flew from the baggy sleeves of her pink robe. The fairy whispered in his ear. He nodded and lowered his weapon. "Very well, _Avram_. Do not hinder our quest."

"Oh oh? Quest? We questin'?"

"There is no _we_," he said. "My sparing your life is your reward for saving my sister."

Avram glanced between the kind girl and the callous man. She whispered, "We're on a quest to the World Chalice. It's supposed to have a way to erase the Krawlers! Er, the things you call the Mekkstrosities!"

She pointed at the dead insects to prove her point. Avram said, "No way! You gotta let me help!"

"Help?" The man glowered at the pair. "You _told _him?"

She clasped her hands together during her plea: "He's reeeeeally strong! He took out the Krawlers easy as pie! And he's friendly! You could learn from him!"

"I could _what_?"

Avram scooped up his sword, set the blade on his shoulder, and flashed a grin like when he met the girl. "The name's Avram, and-"

"I am aware," the man snapped. "You may follow, I suppose. When you are dying, know we will not stop to aid you."

He marched away from them. The girl followed and hummed a tune. Avram blinked. Blinked again. He rushed to catch up with the girl and said, "He always like this?"

"In our forest, he was an excellent commander," she said, "but he did not have many friends. I'm sure he'll warm up to you!"

The murderous glare from the leading man said he had heard every word of the conversation and that he would sooner die ablaze than "warm up to" anyone.

"Riiight," Avram said, showing an awkward smile.

* * *

The tale Lib spun stole Yusaku away into another dimension. By the time she finished, he had to reattune to his surroundings. Lib guided him through a water-logged swamp. His socks were soaked by the ankle-high waters. Light rain created ripples all around.

Sprouts of larger-than-life flowers made Yusaku feel like a mouse in a garden. A leaf the size of an airplane shielded them from the rainstorm. Lib said, "Look over here! These are perfect sizes!"

Lib plucked a huge leaf and clutched the stem. The leaf flopped and remained sideways. The bent leaf served as a workable umbrella. She did the same with another stem and handed it to Yusaku. The pair continued their trek through the giant's garden.

"This Avram. He was your friend?" Yusaku said.

"Yes! From the very first moment, I would say! Avram was quite the gentleman." Blushes blossomed on her cheeks. "I miss him more and more every day. My brother never did like him, though."

"What happened next? You three found the World Chalice?"

The mention flipped Lib's demeanor. She watched her reflected frown in the disturbed water at her feet. "We did. That's… a story for another time. Us two will find the World Chalice ourselves."

"Is something different about the World Chalice?"

"Yes." The word was small and quiet as their presence in the giant world. "The World Lance is close. Just past that-"

"What's different about the World Chalice?"

Lib came to an abrupt halt. Her frown curved deeper downward. She breathed in. Lib shouted, "What more will it take for you to understand I don't want to talk about it?"

Yusaku winced. His head lowered. "I apologize. I'm not the best at 'cues.' Or interacting. At all."

The hurt written on his face reached her. "I'm sorry, too. Shouldn't have blown up."

Silence thickened the air between them. Splashes crafted the melody of their march. They passed beneath a discarded clay pot that had shattered. Rain dripped from the lip of the urn onto a piece. Yusaku couldn't look away from that which was broken.

A screech deafened all else. The spreading of wings split rainclouds. The beast in the sky tucked its wings against its flanks and dove. Yusaku tipped back his leaf umbrella to watch the monster. The thing had wings, talons, and a beak like a bird's, but its lithe body resembled a large cat's. He waited for Lib to draw the sword strapped to her sash.

Lib threw aside her large leaf and sprinted towards the beast. Its difficult and skidding landing threw water in all directions, soaking Yusaku's school uniform. Lib tossed her arms around the beast's neck and laughed. The monster nuzzled her.

"Ah! Yu-sa-ku! This is Knightmare Gryphon! We'll ride him the rest of the way!"

In place of eyes, a crescent moon adorned the monster's brow. Despite the lack of sight, Gryphon seemed to stare right at Yusaku. The faceless being perturbed him. Lib said, "C'mon! Don't be shy. He's real soft."

She grasped his wrist and placed his hand on the monster's beak. Its lavender feathers caressed his skin. He rubbed Gryphon's snout. The way the monster nudged deeper into Yusaku's palm suggested it liked the pats.

Yusaku followed a logic in that having a pet was more of a chore than an enjoyment. Now, he wondered if he was wrong.

Lib climbed between Gryphon's wings and offered a hand. Yusaku clasped her forearm. She pulled him onto Gryphon's back behind her. The monster crouched. Its wings flared, throwing pale purple feathers.

"Brace yourself!"

Lib had a hold on the monster's chest. Yusaku glanced around. Grabbing the wings would be a poor choice. Taking a fistful of feathers would only rip them out and hurt Gryphon. His only option, then…

As Knightmare Gryphon launched into the sky, Yusaku wrapped his arms around Lib's midsection. She kept up a bright grin as the wind burned her cheeks and threw her hair. One of her forest green eyes landed on Yusaku. "Why so tense?"

He couldn't look her in the eye. Surely this much physical contact with another person broke some sort of law.

Knightmare Gryphon tore through the storm and emerged into clear skies. Rays of sunshine shimmered upon the gentle waves of a lake. The clear water unveiled destroyed remains of buildings beneath the surface, the skeleton of a once-grand city.

A weapon the size of an obelisk was stabbed into the center. Water lapped at the shining steel, which was a brilliant, unrusted silver despite its time in the depths. Knightmare Gryphon circled the World Lance. Their height lowered with each pass. Gryphon flapped beside the Lance's pommel. Lib touched the black gem on her sword to the glowing amethyst embedded in the World Lance.

The color drained from the World Lance, captured within Lib's blade.

Knightmare Gryphon soared back to the giant's garden. Lib said, "Woohoo! Another down!"

Yusaku stared behind them. The sunken, decrepit cityscape buried beneath the crystal-clear lake forced existential thoughts of Den City's future. Nature in his world was different, though. Sources of water in his dimension were always surrounded by life: fish swimming, birds flying, insects singing.

The World Grave was still and silent.

"Lib."

"Yu-sa-ku!" she said, too chipper.

The surface blurred beneath their flight. Yusaku asked, "Are we dead?"

* * *

Soulburner was an inch from being impaled by the knight on horseback when VRAINS froze.

It started with a blast of horrible music from the sky-climbing tower. The blare was loud enough to force Soulburner to clap his hands over his ears. He lost control of his hoverboard and crashed into the rocky ground.

When he rolled to a stop, there was no movement in the world. The golden knight made of instruments and his tuba horse had knelt. Their heads were bowed towards the Babel. The hundreds of horrible monstrosities surrounding the Babel's heights, too, had paused.

Then he saw the body thrown outside the tower's main entrance.

"Playmaker?" he hazarded.

The body was still as the rest.

Soulburner broke into a sprint. "Playmaker! _Playmaker_!"

No response; not even a flicker. He dropped to his knees beside his friend and gathered him in his arms. "Get up, Playmaker. Don't you know Ao- Blue Maiden's waiting for you? Pretend it's the morning. Wake up, Playmaker. On your feet! _Get up, Yusaku_!"

Tears sprinkled Playmaker's dark bodysuit. The clinking of spurs approached. Another's hand pressed two fingers into Playmaker's neck. The voice reported, "Nothing."

Soulburner peered up at Blood Shepherd. "The hell are you doing? Get away from us!"

The masked bounty hunter removed his wide-brimmed hat and held it against his chest. "My sincerest apologies for your loss."

_"You have a habit of giving up too soon."_

The crackle of a report sounded from both of their wrists. Blood Shepherd said, "Forgive my sister. She is not exactly the definition of an empath."

Ghost Girl scoffed over the mic. _"Says the heartless hunter! Listen closely, you two. I don't believe for a second Playmaker has passed away. We're in VRAINS. Anything is possible. This is trickery by the Orcustrator to scare us into leaving his tower alone. I watched him attack Playmaker."_

"Watched him?" Soulburner repeated. "That must mean…"

His focus drifted up the Babel.

Past the grand organ and conductor within, Ghost Girl crouched upon the stairway winding up the tower. She whispered into her communicator, "Make a distraction so he won't see me go up. I'm gonna figure out what makes this thing tick. Once I hack in, I'll figure out how to bring Playmaker back and shut the tower down. You have my word."

_"She's a regular rat in the ventilation,"_ Blood Shepherd said. _"If we're the next to enter the tower, we're the next to die."_

_ "I don't care!" _came Soulburner's shout. _"I'll do anything if it means we might get Playmaker back!"_

_"Alright, but if this fails, Ghost Girl owes you for the years of therapy you'll need for getting your hopes up."_

"A bet I'll accept," she said. "Get the guy angry again. That seemed easy enough for Playmaker to accomplish. Maybe he plays the card game. Up for a duel, Soulburner?"

_"Always!"_

"Even against a… volatile opponent?"

_"What does that mean?"_

"Just be prepared for anything."

Ghost Girl shut off her communicator. She watched the Orcustrator. His hands were spread across the organ. His long, purple locks spilled over the keys. A red ribbon remained clutched in his fist. A look of pain plagued his expression. Ghost Girl thinned her eyes.

Whatever was happening in this tower, she'd get to the bottom of it.

* * *

**End of Chapter Three**

* * *

**A/N: **First duel of the fic next chapter OR the chapter after - haven't yet decided. What archetypes are you expecting? I know it seems obvious but I honestly don't believe anyone will guess what they turn out to be teehee

The TCG changed her name to Lib the World Key Blademaster and I am NOT HAPPY. you can't even get that name to roll of the tongue dangit. (I did pull one tho and did a lil happy dance for my girl. DANG IS it a beautiful card. her EYES-) What name do y'all prefer?

**Relevant cards in order of appearance: **Crowned by the World Chalice, X-Krawler Neurogos, Krawler Spine, Chosen by the World Chalice, Beckoned by the World Chalice, Lee the World Chalice Fairy, Knightmare Gryphon, World Legacy - World Lance

thanks for reading!


End file.
